17/11/2017

Nearly 4 in 10 unemployed older workers have not had a job for more than a year. It looks like evidence to suggest older workers find it hard to get a job once they are out of work.

That would be OK if it wasn't for the fact that on any other day the news will say we're heading towards a pension crisis and no one will ever get to retire. Prince Philip didn't get to retire till he was 96 and his missus is minted.

If our economy is only going to work if people keep working into their old age we need an economy where people who are in their old age can get a job.

The Centre for Ageing Better (sounds like a job title in W1A, I admit) say that 3.3 million older workers are not in work for one reason or another.

That's such a waste of capacity. OK, some jobs will be age dependent. If you're trapped in your house, call the emergency services and you see a mobility scooter turn up you might be miffed but there's a lot of skills going untapped.

And with some people saying Brexit means some low skilled jobs are struggling to attract applicants from the EU, and the fact there was a statistical link between age and the odds you'd vote for Brexit, put your money where your mouth is and pick some fruit next year.